Experience of a lifetime

We asked Inland 360 readers to share your memories of Expo ’74, Spokane’s world’s fair, as we approach the landmark event’s 50th anniversary, and the stories we got reflected the expansiveness and diversity of the event.

The fair ran from May 4 to Nov. 3, 1974, in downtown Spokane at what is now Riverfront Park, which was converted from railyards to accommodate the event. The structure of the U.S. Pavilion remains to this day as an indelible Spokane landmark.

Jeanne M. DePaul — of the Lewiston Tribune, Moscow-Pullman Daily News and Inland 360 — shared her memories of the world’s fair to get the ball rolling. You can read her column at bit.ly/jdpexpo.

Here are the responses you shared:


Karen Young, Lewiston

In 1974 I was spending my summers in Benewah County, living in an 8-by-12-foot cabin made of mill ends and cedar slabs, working on the Dipple cattle ranch on Santa Creek.

My grandmother, who lived in Newark, N.J., where she had a view of Manhattan from her apartment, improbably decided that summer to visit her errant eldest granddaughter in northern Idaho. She flew into Spokane, and I picked her up in the old ’52 Chevy pickup which only started if it was rolled downhill and push-started. As we were leaving Spokane, she noticed the Expo from the freeway and said she’d like to come back.

A few days later, we made it to the Expo. I was a bit overwhel med by the crowds and noise, but Grandma waded right in, having the time of her life. She was attracted to a booth where you could learn how to tie-dye things, and we stayed there for quite a while. We wandered around other exhibits, admired the rides and the river, and oozed back to the tie-dye booth. She bought supplies and a tie-dye wall hanging.

We returned to the woods, and my grandmother insisted we try doing some tie-dye ourselves. I fired up the big old wood cookstove I had stuffed into the tiny cabin, and we boiled water from Santa Creek, added dyes and tie-dyed everything within reach. (The collies that lived with me escaped by slinking off into the woods.) We hung our creations on the garden fence to dry and wore them proudly for years afterward.

When my grandmother died, I flew east for her funeral. We, the western branch of the family, were invited to visit her apartment and pick keepsakes from among her possessions. There, hanging on her bedroom wall, was the tie-dye wall hanging she bought at Expo ’74. I appropriated it for myself, as a keepsake of the time Grandma and I went to Spokane to the World’s Fair.


Bob Fulton, Lewiston

We lived on the South Hill in Spokane at the time, and I was the manager of the downtown Goodyear store. This is significant for two good reasons: We were able to watch the fireworks displays which happened at 10 p.m. every night, and the Goodyear blimp came to town.

I was in charge of scheduling the rides. Of course, I made sure that my wife and I got a ride. The blimp was stationed at the airfield east of the commercial airline terminals west of Spokane and the flight took us from there downtown and over the fair site. I remember that it was a beautiful day and very quiet in the cabin as we circled the fairgrounds and returned to base. The pace was very slow, so we got a good view of all the pavilions and grounds.

We bought family passes so we could visit the Expo in small doses as our children were 2 and 4. Spokane’s hosting of the fair was very controversial, but it eliminated a blighted area and regenerated downtown Spokane.


C.B. Waldrop, Clarkston

Expo ’74 — now if that doesn’t bring back some memories. My wife, Rosemary, and I lived in Spokane at the time, and I was an assistant city attorney with an office window overlooking the Expo site from the old Spokane City Hall. I was able to witness the demolition of the abandoned, elevated railroad tracks and depot structures, and the magnificent transformation of this urban blight into a parkland paradise that still blesses the community today. The trees installed still beautify the site and the streets of downtown Spokane.

Expo ’74 opened on a beautiful spring day, and this marvelous weather continued for the entire Expo. The winter of 1973-74 had produced a huge snowpack, and the Spokane River ran at glorious full throttle all summer. We visited Expo frequently with our 4-year-old son, always riding the gondola back and forth over all the excitement.

Expo ’74 was an example of  what one person can do, and that person was King Forrest Cole. It was his vision, drive and energy, and his ability to bring people together to achieve the impossible, that made Expo ’74 happen. The Inland Northwest has become a better place because of this one man.


Malcolm Furniss, Moscow
The call for recollections of Expo ’74 was accompanied by announcement of the annual meeting of the Palouse Patchers quilting group. My departed wife, Irene, attended that Expo and thereafter became a founder of Palouse Patchers.

Here is the connection, as written by Irene: “It all started for me about 1974 when a friend and I attended a folk life festival at the world’s fair in Spokane. There were two frames set up for anyone to sit and quilt. I knew that I wanted to quilt but figured that I would never finish such a big project. Before then, if I couldn’t finish something in a week ... too bad. Well, I found a pattern for an appliqué quilt in the Simplicity pattern book and just carried those squares around until I got them done, sent for a quilt frame from Sears, and sat down to quilt. After that, I was hooked — always thinking of what project to do next.”

She entered the quilt in the 1976 Latah County Fair along with several other women, who asked if she would like to form a quilter group, which became Palouse Patchers.
An historical account of the founders, the renowned Palouse Hills quilt and activities of Irene’s interest group, Tea and Talk, is published in “Latah Legacy” Vol. 42,
No. 1.


Tracy Milano, Palouse

I was 9 years old in 1974. The year before that, I had an unfortunate encounter with a dog and was bitten, which made me understandably frightened of them.

I was in Spokane at Expo ’74 with my parents, grandparents and younger sister. I had to use the restroom and the building leading to it had benches on either side. There were some older folks there taking a rest, one of whom had a souvenir: an invisible dog (basically a very stiff fake leash with a harness attached). I’m sure the gentleman holding it had no ill intent, but he moved it to make it appear it was following me.

I became so scared I ran back to my parents, screaming and crying that an invisible dog was trying to bite me. The adults tried to be sympathetic, but they were clearly amused.
Now I can laugh at the absurdity of it, but at the time I was convinced that darn nonexistent dog was going to attack!


Penni Dixon, Milton, Wash.

I worked at Expo ’74 through its entirety. I was a log roller at the Festival of Forestry, which was located at the far end of Folklife. I was 19, and it was wonderful. I worked about three hours a day and spent the rest of the time strolling the exhibits and getting to know the musicians and exhibitors at Folklife. I still visit Spokane and the old Expo grounds whenever I can. Expo was a wonderful experience.


Kym Dye, Pullman

My very first airplane trip was in the summer of 1974. We lived in Elk City, and my friend’s stepdad, John Gortsema, landed his Cessna 182 on the Elk City airstrip with his wife, Dawn, and my friend Craig Lester to pick me up for a day in Spokane at Expo ’74.

We landed at Felts Field in Spokane and got into the car that John kept at the field. I don’t remember much about the day except the deep blue sky and the hot sun, but we ended the day at the new Opera House, listening to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir before we headed home to Grangeville.

The stars were out in full force and guided us home. I have a ticket to the fair, a commemorative flask and plastic clock tower on my dresser to remember the trip.


Robanna Brosten, Lewiston

Fifty years ago, I was 13 years old and lived in rural Montana with my mother. We were very poor, but somehow, every summer my mom would put me on the bus to Spokane to spend a couple of weeks living with my older sister.

That year, my sister was working at a printing shop in Spokane. This shop had printed all the tickets for Expo ’74, and the staff acquired tickets to take their families to the fair. My loving sister saved hers for my arrival. We spent a wonderful day at the fair, seeing sights new and amazing to me. I saw a rickshaw, rode the gondola, marveled at the street of vendors from around the world and gloried in wandering around the Canad ian Island and seeing totem poles.

Thanks, sis!


Andy Bull, Creswell Ore.

One of my best memories of the 1974 World’s Fair was that it was a good place to have lunch.

At the time, I lived and worked in Spokane as a juvenile parole counselor for the state. Our office was only minutes away from the fair location and I, like a number of other employees, bought a season pass.We’d drive to the site at noon and smell out the different food offerings from around the world.

I found my favorite at the France pavilion: French onion soup. I’d never tried it before, but the smell of the broth, caramelized onions and bread topped with gooey cheese was euphoric. Plus, you could watch the chefs making it from scratch.

My young son Brian and I decided our favorite ride was the Sky Ride, an elevated bucket on cable over much of the fair’s site, including the Spokane River and its beautiful falls spraying mist in your face.

My favorite world’s fair concert was famous violinist Isaac Stern. I wasn’t a big fan, but my parents, Alec and Margaret Bull, of Lewiston were, so I got tickets and we attended in the fair’s concert hall.

I still have my souvenirs from Expo ’74, the only world’s fair I ever attended.


Anne Narramore, Clarkston

The Narramores had a great time at Expo ’74. We performed for the Expo ’74 Rodeo and Wild West Show in the Spokane Coliseum from October 4-6.

It wound up being one of the most unique events we’d ever worked. The rodeo covered the floor and stage area, so we set up in the stands close to the action. We played quiet, background instrumentals until the riders came out and then hit it loud and hard until the ride was over and brought it back down, providing sound throughout the event.

We performed shows during the two intermissions for the four events. The crowds were huge, and everyone, including us, had a great time. Other than the flying manure that just missed my face and the person behind me spilling his Coke all over our amplifiers, it went off without a hitch.

The only complaint we had  was from the concession stands in the lobby, because the crowd stayed in the stands while we were doing the shows during intermissions. It’s definitely one of my best memories of life on the road.


Expo ’74 50th anniversary celebration

• Events are planned through the Fourth of July in Spokane, including an opening ceremony from 3-9 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at Riverfront Park, 507 N. Howard St.
  
  
• A powwow is being organized for May 25-26 at the Spokane Convention Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. More information about the Expo ’74 50th Celebration Pow-wow at the Falls is at bit.ly/expopowwow.
  
  
• Works by Moscow-based artist Jill Kyong are among those selected for an Expo ’74 anniversary-themed exhibit in Spokane. Kyong’s artwork will be part of the second Inland Northwest Juried Landscape Art Exhibition May 31-Aug. 24 at Gonzaga University’s Jundt Art Museum. The exhibit’s focus on creativity, community and environmental stewardship reflects the Expo ’74 theme of “Celebrating Tomorrow’s Fresh New Environment,” according to information provided by Kyong. A reception is set for 4-7 p.m. May 31 at the museum, 200 E Desmet Ave.
  
  More information about anniversary events is at visitspokane.com/expo-50.